Zumba: A Trial in Pre-emptive Self Help.

So a Zumba studio opened this week within a ten minute drive from my home. With classes before and after my work schedule. Across the parking lot from my grocery store. Next door to my tanning salon. Plus I found a friend who wanted to join a class locally,

So I Joined!

And not bought-a-punch-card-joined, I got-an-unlimited-membership-that’s-only-cheaper-if-you-share-with-a-friend-and-go-twice-a-week joined. Like a foreal commitment to both my friend and my pocketbook.

In my new job I am veeeery sedentary. I drive a lot, I sit a lot in families’ homes and at desks with children. Most of my coworkers cautioned me that they gained weight--like 10-30 lbs in a few months--after starting this job. To compound that problem, last winter I got hit in the face with seasonal affect disorder. I had always had kind of winter blues, but last winter I was achy, I was always feeling pressed for time and overworked. Then when spring came around, I was happy and energetic again. I realized that my perceived over-worked self was only putting in about 37 hours a week and was seriously neglecting housework. But even worse, I was seriously neglecting people. I had turned down opportunities to make friends and join groups, and the one thing I did join I bailed on over half of the meetings because I … well, I couldn’t even remember why. But I wasn’t doing anything else, so I it’s not like I had something else crop up.

So this winter I’m fighting back. Exercise releases endorphins, and Zumba is super fun and energetic. It’s going to make my joints hurt more than some exercise because of an arthritis-type condition I have, but at this point painful exercise is better than sitting on my duff and gaining weight that will inevitably lead to more pain anyway, and be harder to shake. And who knows - I will get to know one friend better for sure, and maybe I will make some new friends in the process!